Leena Ching’s Review For Straight Outta Compton

I rate it at 5 out of fives Stars! let me tell you why. Normally, I am the type of person that doesn’t care to go to the movie theater at all, but, when I heard they were making a N.W.A biopic I made an exception because there was a lot I didn’t know about the group or what they stood for.

Straight Outta Compton is a must-see biopic with a vicious bite of the truth. From the start, I knew that they were opening our eyes to the way they were treated by cops down in Compton but I didn’t realize it was so bad to where it was basically the police vs them. I knew about Eazy-E’s death being due to AIDS but I didn’t know much about Eazy-E before this movie except for that.
When I first heard that the movie was nearly three hours long, I was curious to know why it was so long. But when I watched the whole movie it made so much sense as to why they needed so much time to tell this story. I was so impressed with the way they told the story and how RAW and UNCUT it was, it was so authentic. They came from one of the roughest hoods in the country and with everything they’ve been seen and been through they still managed to turn it into something that turned them into hip hop legends. They didn’t hold anything back and we needed to see that raw emotion and storytelling. I knew all along that African Americans were being treated unfairly (I’m from Canada) but I had no idea how bad it was for no reason and how they were being stereotyped just for being black.
Pesonally, I feel people can learn a lot from this movie because there are a lot of different lessons that people could use in their daily lives.

These young men didn’t take no for an answer and they broke barriers that other people were afraid to break and it made them iconic and legendary. It was so inspirational to see because there are a lot of people (including myself) that get discouraged when certain things go into left field. However, these guys just made it build them up, and, it encouraged them to push harder and fight longer.They were men who rapped about what they experienced and it was relatable to the people who faced their daily struggles, and regardless of any backlash they received they kept it real, and that is why I think they made such a impact on their fans.
That scene when they performed “Fuck the Police” even after being warned just went to show how much they didn’t care for ignorant bullying by the police and they weren’t afraid to express themselves because they knew that it was a way that a lot of people were feeling.There isn’t enough obstacles that could stop you from achieving your dream & regarding the racial police brutality that was being expressed through their music, was a way to show us that even though you may not see it, this is happening. Honestly, I will never understand why police officers act like they hold the key to somebody’s fate as if they don’t take off their uniforms after their shift. They are supposed to serve and protect and they never really did that, the whole dynamic of the police force was abusing authority. There are some good cops, but unfortunately, that wasn’t enough for them to trust authorities. They knew once they saw those red and blue lights flashing that it was going to be a problem. And, the way they reacted to the fact that “thugs” were making music just goes to show how ignorant people can be, don’t judge a book by its cover because the same thugs they were doubting turned around to be one of the most iconic hip hop groups of all time.
The scenes with the between Ice Cube and Eazy E , was upsetting to watch because of how close they were when they started. But that just goes to show you how much the industry can come in between your friendships if you let it. Even though, he had his friends tell him about their janky;shiesty manager. Eazy E still was blinded because he put so much trust in him. Sometimes it may seem that he was being dishonest with his friends, but Eazy was a loyalist type of guy whose loyalty blinded him as many soldiers are blinded when it comes to fighting a bad war.

Just because you start with a person and they may have given that push that you needed it doesn’t mean that they are good for the long haul and Eazy E learned that the hard way. He learned that his friends only had his best interest at heart and even though they couldn’t go much further with their group, I believe that the fact that they made up before his death was so heartwarming. The definition of real friendship; that no matter what happens when it comes down to it, you have each other’s back and they didn’t let their past beef stop them from going back to the brotherhood that they shared.

Also, the diss track that Ice Cube dropped, that’s a definition of a DISS TRACK! Raw and from the heart.
I had a couple questions when it came to the Suge Knight scenes; Why was he always so damn angry?

Why was he using his money and power for such foolishness?

I am glad that Dr. Dre came out of Deathrow when he did because who knows what he would be or where he’d be if he stayed?
I didn’t think they were going to show Eazy E’s situation with the AIDS but it was good lesson for these young guys that think it is hot to go around having sex with random females; especially unprotected. AIDS isn’t being advertised as much nowadays, but it is very real and it should never be forgotten that if you aren’t careful then you can very much suffer from the sickness. You have to be careful and know the status of every sex partner you encounter. Be mindful that you have to protect yourself and your future sexual partner especially because there are spiteful crazy people that are aware of their sexual status and will continue to sleep with people unprotected. We have to remember that AIDS is VERY REAL and has NO CURE and could be extremely FATAL. In the end hope this movie helped people realize that “Oh yeah, AIDS exists” and people could stop being such hoes and have some respect for their bodies
In this day in age, I don’t hear that genuine real substance in the rap music that is being played now.

It is all about marketing and commercializing and it doesn’t even sound like nobody believes the words they are spitting anymore. It is all about making a check, there is no back story, no meaning and no emotion behind the music.

It is upsetting that it is still being called “Hip Hop” because Hip Hop was dead and cremated a long time ago.
This is a good time to come back with the real, authentic music. But will people be afraid to express themselves the way N.W.A did despite all the backlash and warnings they got from authority including the FBI?

Maybe.

I also say to every person who is planning to build a career in music, they need to go see this movie and bring a pen and paper because class will be session!!
In regards to this movie in relation to rappers today…You felt the struggle through their words and now when you hear music, if the song is catchy it would sell and now it’s all about “as long as it sells” The legends such as Tupac, Snoop Dog, Bones, Thugs, N-Harmony were all offsprings who followed the trend of actually believing in what they wrote about.
I grew so much more respect for the art of Hip Hop as it WAS and it also inspired me so much more with my own personal craft. If you haven’t seen this movie, I highly recommend you go watch it in the theater! Ice Cube is a talented producer who derserves to be recognized for his contribution.

It is a A+ for me.

This is a biopic done correctly… LIFETIME could really use some pointers when telling a story about somebody else’s life.